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The tasteless and odorless depressants Rohypnol
and GHB are often used in the commission of sexual assaults due
to their ability to sedate and intoxicate unsuspecting victims.
Rohypnol, a sedative/tranquilizer, is legally available for prescription
in over 50 countries outside of the U.S. and is widely available
in Mexico, Colombia, and Europe.2 Although usually taken orally
in pill form, reports have shown that some users grind Rohypnol
into a powder and snort the drug.3
GHB, available in an odorless, colorless liquid
form or as a white powder material, is taken orally, and is frequently
combined with alcohol. In addition to being used to incapacitate
individuals for the commission of sexual assault/rape, GHB is also
sometimes used by body builders for its alleged anabolic effects.4
The abuse of ketamine, a tranquilizer most often
used on animals, became popular in the 1980s, when it was realized
that large doses cause reactions similar to those associated with
the use of PCP, such as dream-like states and hallucinations.5 The
liquid form of ketamine can be injected, consumed in drinks, or
added to smokable materials. The powder form can also be added to
drinks, smoked, or dissolved and then injected.6 In some cases,
ketamine is being injected intramuscularly.7
Extent of Use:
According to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use
and Health, an estimated 10.9 million Americans aged 12 or older
tried MDMA at least once in their lifetimes, representing 4.6% of
the U.S. population in that age group. The number of past year MDMA
users in 2003 was 2.1 million (0.9% of the population aged 12 and
older) and the number of past month MDMA users was 470,000 (0.2%).
The past year and past month figures are down from 2002 when approximately
3.2 million (1.3% of the population aged 12 and older) reported
past year MDMA use and 676,000 (0.3%) reported past month MDMA use.8
Among 12–17 year olds surveyed in 2003, 2.4%
reported lifetime MDMA use, 1.3% reported past year MDMA use, and
0.4% reported past month MDMA use. Among 18–25 year olds surveyed
in 2003, 14.8% reported lifetime MDMA use, 3.7% reported past year
MDMA use, and 0.7% reported past month MDMA use.9
The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)
study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveys
high school students on several risk factors including drug and
alcohol use. For the first time in 2003, the YRBSS collected data
on lifetime use of MDMA. Results of the 2003 survey indicate that
11.1% of high school students reported using MDMA at some point
in their lifetimes (11.6% of male students and 10.4% of female students).
The 2003 lifetime MDMA figures broken down by grade are as follows:
10.9% for 9th graders, 9.0% for 10th graders, 11.4% for 11th graders,
and 12.8% for 12th graders.10
According to students surveyed as part of the 2004
Monitoring the Future study, 2.8% of eighth graders, 4.3% of tenth
graders, and 7.5% of twelfth graders reported using MDMA at least
once during their lifetimes.11
Approximately 42.5% of eighth graders, 52% of
tenth graders, and 57.7% of twelfth graders surveyed in 2004 reported
that using MDMA once or twice was a "great risk."12
One percent of eighth graders and 1.2% of tenth
graders surveyed in 2004 reported using Rohypnol at least once during
their lifetimes (twelfth grade data are not available for Rohypnol).13
Additional Monitoring the Future results for 2004
indicate that 0.7% of eighth graders, 0.8% of tenth graders, and
2.0% of twelfth graders reported past year use of GHB. Data showing
lifetime and past month use of GHB and ketamine were not captured
in the survey.14
During 2003, 12.9% of college students and 15.3%
of young adults (ages 19–28) reported using MDMA at least
once during their lifetimes.15
Health Effects:
Using MDMA can cause serious psychological and
physical damage. The possible psychological effects include confusion,
depression, anxiety, and paranoia and may last weeks after ingesting
the substance. Physically, a user may experience nausea, faintness,
and significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure. MDMA
use can cause hyperthermia, muscle breakdown, seizures, stroke,
kidney and cardiovascular system failure, and may lead to death.
Also, chronic use of MDMA has been found to produce long-lasting,
possibly permanent, damage to the sections of the brain critical
to thought and memory.16
Rohypnol, GHB, and ketamine are all central nervous
system depressants. Lower doses of Rohypnol can cause muscle relaxation
and can produce general sedative and hypnotic effects. In higher
doses, Rohypnol causes a loss of muscle control, loss of consciousness,
and partial amnesia. When combined with alcohol, the toxic effects
of Rohypnol can be aggravated.17 The sedative effects of Rohypnol
begin to appear approximately 15–20 minutes after the drug
is ingested. The effects typically last from 4–6 hours after
administration of the drug, but some cases have been reported in
which the effects were experienced 12 or more hours after administration.18
GHB has been shown to produce drowsiness, nausea,
unconsciousness, seizures, severe respiratory depression, and coma.
Additionally, GHB has increasingly become involved in poisonings,
overdoses, date rapes, and fatalities.19The use of ketamine produces
effects similar to PCP and LSD, causing distorted perceptions of
sight and sound and making the user feel disconnected and out of
control.20 The overt hallucinatory effects of ketamine are relatively
short-acting, lasting approximately one hour or less. However, the
user's senses, judgement, and coordination may be affected for up
to 24 hours after the initial use of the drug.21 Use of this drug
can also bring about respiratory depression, heart rate abnormalities,
and a withdrawal syndrome.22
Arrests & Sentencing:
The number of arrests by the Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA) for MDMA-related offenses have declined from 1,930 in 2001
to 1,346 in 2002. The proportion of MDMA-related arrests to all
DEA arrests for any major drug decreased from 5.7 percent in 2001
to 4.7 percent in 2002.24
The Department of Justice reports that MDMA was
involved in 153 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)
investigations during FY2002, a decrease from 188 in FY2001, but
still higher than 107 such investigations in FY2000. The number
of OCDETF indictments filed in which an MDMA trafficking offense
was reported in the indictment has decreased from 212 in 2001 to
191 in 2002.25
According to DEA, the number of arrests for GHB-related
offenses increased from 0 in 2002 to 9 in 2003. The number of GHB-related
investigations by DEA also increased from 8 in 2002 to 19 in 2003.
However, from FY 2002 to FY 2003 the number of OCDETF GHB- and GBL-related
investigations and indictments decreased. The number of GHB- and
GBL-related OCDETF investigations decreased from 18 in FY 2002 to
11 in FY 2003; the number of indictments decreased from 9 in FY
2002 to 2 in FY 2003.26
In response to the Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act
of 2000, the U.S. Sentencing Commission increased the guideline
sentence for trafficking MDMA. The new amendment, enacted on November
1, 2001, increases the sentence for trafficking 800 MDMA pills by
300%, from 15 months to 5 years. It also increases the penalty for
trafficking 8,000 pills by nearly 200%, from 41 months to 10 years.27
Production & Trafficking;
MDMA is primarily manufactured in clandestine laboratories
located in Europe, particularly the Netherlands and Belgium. From
these labs, MDMA is transported to the U.S. and other countries
using a variety of means, including commercial airlines, express
mail services, and sea cargo. Currently, Los Angeles, Miami, and
New York are the major gateway cities for the influx of MDMA from
abroad.28
From 2001 to 2002, the amount of MDMA seized by
Federal agencies decreased from 4,639,540 dosage units in 2001 to
3,495,960 dosage units in 2002. According to seizure data collected
by the DEA's El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), the number of MDMA
dosage units seized at U.S. points-of-entry (POEs) arriving from
foreign source or transit countries decreased from 8,071,127 in
2000, to 6,699,882 in 2001, to 3,395,036 in 2002. EPIC reports that
of the 3,395,036 MDMA tablets seized at POEs in 2002, approximately
3,229,311 were transported via commercial air carriers, 103,925
via private and commercial vehicles, and 61,800 via commercial maritime
vessels.29
GHB, GHB kits, and recipes for making GHB can be
found on the Internet.30 DEA El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC)
National Clandestine Laboratory Seizure System (NCLSS) data show
that the number of reported GHB laboratory seizures is low and decreased
from 13 in 2001 to 7 in 2002 to 2 in 2003. 31
Rohypnol, legally produced and sold in Latin America
and Europe, is typically smuggled into the U.S. using mail or delivery
services. States along the U.S. border with Mexico have the most
significant activity related to Rohypnol being mailed or brought
into the U.S. via couriers from Mexico.32 Since the mid-1990s, the
number of Rohypnol seizures in the U.S. have decreased. In 1995,
a high of 164,534 dosage units of Rohypnol were seized, while in
2000, less than 5,000 dosage units were seized.33
Legitimately used by veterinarians, ketamine is
sometimes stolen from animal hospitals and veterinary clinics. DEA
reporting also indicates that some of the ketamine available in
the U.S. has been diverted from pharmacies in Mexico.34 Since first
recorded in 1999, the number of ketamine seizures reported by the
DEA have increased each year. Seizures of this drug have increased
from 4,551 dosage units in 1999 to 1,154,463 in 2000. DEA data also
indicate that 581,677 dosage units were seized from January to June
2001.35
Legislation:
MDMA, GHB, Rohypnol, and ketamine have all been
scheduled under the Controlled Substance Act (CSA), Title II of
the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970.
The Schedules of the club drugs are as follows:
MDMA—Schedule I as of 1998
GHB—Schedule I as of 2000
Rohypnol—Schedule IV as of 1984
Ketamine—Schedule III as of 1999
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Street Terms:
GHB Ketamine MDMA Rohypnol
Goop Cat valium Disco biscuit Forget me drug
Grievous bodily harm K Hug drug Mexican valium
Max Jet Go Roaches
Soap Super acid XTC Roofies
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